1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a ball game apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interchangeable, modular ball game apparatus that has a variety of hoops, features and functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are literally a limitless number of ball-based games that have been developed in the marketplace. These games utilize a wide variety of balls, shapes and goals with a plurality of features such as bells, flashing lights or movement of the goals. Many of these game apparatus are reflected in the related art.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 213,209, issued to Zielinski on Jan. 14, 1969, shows an ornamental design for a combined target and game board.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0009874, published on Jul. 26, 2001, describes the use of a game goal apparatus that is intended to be played within a swimming pool, and which uses a substantially planar backboard at opposite ends of the swimming pool. Each backboard is designed to be used in conjunction with a water polo ball. Each backboard includes an opening which may connect with a net mounted on the backboard to guide the ball when the ball passes through the opening to be deposited on the water directly adjacent the rear surface of the backboard.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0116917, published on Jun. 26, 2003, teaches the use of a target game device played with a ball or other projectile for use in places such as amusement parks, arcades or at home. An essential element of the game device is that a variety of special effects are used to add excitement as a player gets closer to winning. The game device has one or more target(s) at which a projectile, such as a ball, is tossed or rolled by one or more players of the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,628, issued to Warehime on Aug. 17, 1982, discloses the use of a rugged, practical, and portable turnstile goal, having two to five relatively large-sized paddle type elements of a grid construction, a simple, rugged and concealed turnstile rotary friction control system, and a simple, reliable and highly visible turnstile fractional rotation indicating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,725, issued to Leras et al. on Jan. 26, 1993, describes the use of a soccer shooting training target which may be easily rolled up and transported, and which can be installed over an existing soccer goal. The target has a plurality of individual targets containing flaps sized to admit passage of a soccer ball. The soccer shooting training target's upper edge is tied in place to the goal's rear crossbar using a weighted rope. The bottom corners of the soccer shooting training target are tied down using an elastic cord and stakes in order to render the target stable in the presence of wind.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,217, issued to Cota et al. on Aug. 3, 1993, teaches the use of a triple-play game that allows three games to be played indoors: basketball, tetherball and target-board. All three games utilize a pole positioned vertically between the ceiling and floor of a room. Basketball is played with a ball attached to a line having its other end attached to a wrist strap. The basketball backboard is clipped to the pole and has a ball-hoop having a narrow frontal opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,199, issued to Vand on Jul. 19, 1994, discloses the use of an annular-netted target that can rotate to different angles, as well as to different heights. The target will assist in the teaching and drilling of ball placement skills that are essential to a player when playing a field or court sport. The device will also assist the physical education teacher or coach who must teach several students at one time, all with different skill and interest levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,000, issued to Woosley on Apr. 4, 1995, describes the use of a game ball having an cinflatable bladder or shell with selected portions reduced in thickness to provide transparent or translucent patterns separated by increased thickness defining opaque portions. The interior of the ball is occupied by a breakable liquid illumination device held in a removable housing of transparent or translucent material for conveying illumination from the device to the selected portions of the ball transmitting the illumination exteriorly of the ball for visual observation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,294, issued to Nordman et al. on Jun. 25, 1996, teaches the use of a lighted stand-up target with a housing attached to the playfield and a target switch pivotally mounted to the housing. An array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are positioned on a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted within the housing. The target switch is actuated each time that it is struck by a pinball. The LEDs are lit, indicating the number of times that the impact target has been struck.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,302, issued to Lapsker et al. on Aug. 27, 1996, teaches the use of a device for allowing an athlete to practice various methods of propelling a projectile in a controlled and accurate manner by allowing him or her to place the projectile on a specific location on a target. This device uses hook and loop fastening material on the projectile and the target to allow the athlete to know where the projectile strikes the target and allows him or her to practice various ways of getting the projectile onto the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,338, issued to Taub on Sep. 24, 1996, discloses the use of a versatile, multi-use base assembly having a stable support for post-like standards for each series of different games to be played by children. In a football game and in a soccer game, a base supports an upwardly projecting wall. For the soccer game, the wall defines a specially contoured, tension-controlled, resilient target area net for forcibly impinging a ball thereagainst, as occurs during the conduct of a game simulating soccer goal shots.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,196, issued to O'Neil on Nov. 18, 1997, describes the use of a portable, remote-controlled, moving target device for throwing practice, which includes a support cable for supporting and carrying a target on an adjustable target support. The adjustable target support includes a hollow upper stem portion and a hollow lower stem portion with a spring within the hollow stem portion that forces the two stem portions together and allows the user to adjust the angle or position between the target and the support cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,415, issued to Docherty et al. on Dec. 9, 1997, teaches the use of a basketball backboard aiming device. The device includes a backboard member for attachment to a standard basketball hoop. The backboard has a front, planar surface and a linear array of indicia are disposed along the backboard, the array including a plurality of individual targets. Each of the targets is selectively viewable by a shooter disposed along a unique axis forming a pre-selected angle with respect to the plane of the backboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,620, issued to Reinprecht on Jan. 20, 1998, discloses the use of an assembly for assisting in the instruction of court or playing-field games, e.g., tennis, the assembly having two-dimensional panels that are strategically positioned on a court. Each panel is made of a flexible, durable material that forms a plane for positioning and repositioning on the surface of a tennis court, thus permitting a tennis instructor to customize tennis lessons according to the specific needs, strengths or weaknesses of a particular student player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,727, issued to Edge et al. on Jan. 27, 1998, describes the use of an illuminated basketball goal with a first light source carried by the perimeter of the backboard and a second light source positioned within a recess formed in the perimeter of the rim. The target square, located on the front face of the backboard, is made of a fluorescent compound, which glows upon activation of the first and second light source. The net depending from the rim is also made of a reflective material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,485, issued to Oswald on Feb. 24, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,554, issued to Oswald on May 25, 1999, disclose the use of a basketball game area for recreation with multiple zones, each having at least one hoop and backboard combination, multiple shooting indicators, and obstacles which can be free standing and/or affixed to the hoop or backboard. The location of the obstacle in relation to the indicator changes the trajectory required to shoot the ball into the hoop. The placement of each indicator increases the difficulty in placing the ball through the hoop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,363, issued to Saunders et al. on Sep. 22, 1998, teaches the use of a target assembly with a variety of non-piercing type projectiles or missiles launched to strike or impinge upon the target, whereupon the latter acts effectively to terminate the flight of the missile. The assembly includes a frame defined by flexible and resilient rods disposed to support a shock-sustainable, shock-resistant tensioned web or target sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,691, issued to Chen on Feb. 2, 1999, describes the use of a sports game apparatus including a plurality of U-blocks, a plurality of triangle blocks, a plurality of elongated tubes, a plurality of L-bars, a plurality of angle connectors, and a plurality of coupling tubes adapted to be alternatively arranged into a framework for a net assembly for badminton or tennis, a framework for a goal for soccer or hockey, or a framework for a backstop for basketball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,048, issued to Hurell et al. on Jun. 29, 1999, describes the use of an illuminated basketball goal with a first light source by the perimeter of a backboard and a second light source positioned within a recess formed in the perimeter of the rim. The target square, located on the front face of the backboard, is made of an electroluminescent material or fluorescent compound, which glows upon activation of the first and second light source.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,948, issued to Branson on Apr. 9, 2002, describes the use of a self-contained lighting apparatus releasably supported by a conventional translucent basketball backboard. The lighting apparatus includes a translucent front panel and a back panel defining an interior chamber. A reflective surface is disposed within the interior chamber and a plurality of substantially uniform distributed light sources are supported near the reflective surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,673, issued to Maruca on Jun. 4, 2002, describes the use of a hoop-toss game simulative of basketball that has a backboard assembly with a backboard, a basketball hoop attached to the backboard whenever it is in use, and a horizontally disposed extensible frame. A central portion of the frame is fixedly attached to the backboard and two side portions of the frame have rails that are telescopically attached to the central portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,153, issued to Stewart on Jun. 11, 2002, discloses the use of a game that includes a base and a toy figure holding a basketball-type hoop. The toy figure is resiliently supported upon a base by a spring support. A sensing lever on the figure responds to the passage of a ball through the hoop to provide a first switch condition. A motion sensor within the figure responds to impact against the figure to provide a second switch condition. A sound and control circuit is operative within the figure and responds to switch conditions to play appropriate audible messages from a stored memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,874, issued to Beazley on Feb. 18, 2003, discloses the use of a game goal apparatus, which is intended to be played within a swimming pool, and which uses a substantially planar backboard at opposite ends of the swimming pool. Each backboard is designed to be used in conjunction with a water polo ball. Each backboard includes a through opening which may connect with a net mounted on the backboard to guide the ball when it passes through the opening to be deposited on the water directly adjacent to the rear surface of the backboard.
German Patent No. 3,503,549, published on Aug. 7, 1986, shows the use of a goal with changing set targets for the purposes of sport, leisure activities, fitness training and entertainment. The actions are spontaneously transmitted in the absence of a physical component. The constantly changing set targets reproduce the multifarious aspect of a ball game in the goal area and the set targets are moved by the force of impact from the ball on rotary bodies.
Great Britain Patent Application Number 2,300,362, published on Nov. 6, 1996, shows the use of a ball game practice aid that includes a ground or attachable support with target space defining frames attachable at different heights and positions of the support to extend upwards and/or sideways to the ground.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an interchangeable, modular ball game apparatus solving the aforementioned problems is desired.